Megan Healy, Biology Faculty, Patrick Henry CC

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Transforming Colleges and Classrooms through
Active Cooperative Learning

• Megan Healy, Biology Faculty, Patrick Henry CC
• Greg Hodges, Dean, Patrick Henry CC

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Something to Ponder

• It is time for us to reaffirm that education
  that, teaching in all its forms is the primary
  task of higher education.
• Stanford University President Emeritus
• Donald Kennedy
• Video 1

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PHCC Facts and Info

• Martinsville, VA Foothills of VA
• Headcount appx. 3000
• FTE appx. 2400
• 68 receive financial aid
• Highest unemployment in VA for 15 years running
• Hovers around 18-20
• Large population of TRADE workers (dislocated
  factory workers)

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PHCCs service region
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Why Cooperative Learning?

• Encourage contact between students and faculty
• Develops reciprocity and cooperation among
  students
• Encourages active learning
• Give prompt feedback
• Emphasizes time on task
• Communicate high expectations
• Respects diverse talents and ways of learning
• Meeting Standards
• Chickering and Gamson (1987) Seven Principles
  for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education

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Resources for Organization Bowperson Publishing
Training, INC.
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Americas Perfect Storm

• ETS Policy Information report (2007) states that
  America is in the midst of a perfect storm.
• Three forces will impact the future of our
  nation
• Divergent skill distribution
• Changing Economy
• Changing Demography

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2006 REPORT Are they ready to work? (21st
Century workforce)

• 1.Problem solving 77.8
• 2. Information Technology 77.4
• 3 Teamwork/Collaboration 74.2
• 4 Creativity/Innovation 73.6
• 5. Diversity 67.1
• Note General knowledge skills (science,
  composition, etc. ranked in the double digits).

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Basic Skills ranked as very important for 2 yr
colleges Tech school Grads

1. Professionalism Work Ethic 83.4
2. Teamwork/Collaboration 82.7
3. Oral Communications 82.0
4. Critical Thinking/Problem Solving 72.7
5. Written Communications 71.5
6. Ethics Social Responsibility 70.6

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Group Work is Not CL!!!

• Cooperative Learning

• Group Work

• Group effort required
• Students may be evaluated as a group
• Students accountable to each other
• Social Skills are improved
• Emphasis on process and product.

• Little joint effort required
• Students evaluated individually
• Minimal interaction
• Helping and Sharing is minimal
• More free-riders
• Emphasis on product.

Activity Share a CL Experience ( or-)
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Graduation and Transfer Rates with/without CL
First Semester
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CL in Action Pass Rates (10/11)

• Developmental Math (Fast track with CL)
• MTH 09 (pre-Algebra) - 70
• MTH 03 (Algebra I) - 74
• MTH 04 (Algebra II) - 81

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Survival Rates with/without CL First Semester
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What Does This Data Mean?

• If students are enrolled in CL classes
• We keep them enrolled for the current semester!
• We get them to come back the next semester!
• Activity Road blocks identify!!!!

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Roadblocks

• I cannot cover all the material
• Student Slackers
• One Student does all the Work
• Class it too large
• Students are unprepared for effective group
  learning
• Students do not like CL

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Types of Cooperative Groups

• Base Groups
• Formal
• Informal

Video 2 explains each!
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LECTURE BUSTING WITH INFORMAL COOPERATIVE
LEARNING!
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Problem Student Case Study

• Your cooperative groups are working on long-term
  projects which will end with presentations to the
  class. You have given them class time to plan
  and organize. One group is upset because Stella,
  one of the members is a chronic absentee. She is
  continuing to attend school but only 2-3 days a
  week, and she has not done any of the work the
  group has asked her to do. Since part of the
  grade will be based on how well everyone in the
  group participates, the group is afraid that
  Stella will bring down the group grade. They
  want Stella out of the group.
• HO case study

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In Your Group RANK THE RESPONSES FROM 1
(FIRST) TO 6 (LAST)

• Let the group decide what they want to do.
• You sit down with the group (without Stella) and
  discuss some ways to get Stella involved at this
  time.
• You sit down with the entire group (Stella, too)
  and set some firm guidelines for continued
  participation.
• You call Stella in your office only and discuss
  why she needs to participate in the group.
• You allow Stella to work alone and do a
  presentation by herself.
• You (instructor) remove Stella out of the group.
  resulting in a 0 for Stella, since this is a
  group presentation

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SCALE Institutewww.scaleinstitute.com

• Southern Center for Active Learning Excellence
• Annual institute (May)
• External Trainings - 8 certified trainers
• Trained colleges from VA, NC, MA, OH, IL, CA, AK,
  PA
• Courses
• Cooperative Learning for the Community College
  Classroom (4CL)
• Fundamentals of Active Critical Thinking (FACT)
• Advanced Student Engagement Techniques (ASET)
• Active Learning in an Online Environment (CL for
  DL)

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Questions and Panel Discussion..